Transsiberian [2008]

Directed by Brad Anderson (Session 9, The Machinist, Vanishing on 7th Street) Transsiberian represents a shift in his career towards thrillers. In case you are not familiar with Trans-Siberian Railway, here’s a bit of info: It was built between 1891 and 1916 in effort to connect Moscow with the Russian Far East. With a length of 9,289 kilometers (5,772 miles), it is the longest railway line in the world. Now, just imagine how many travelers and adventurers felt the call of this beast. Not to be confused with the actual Beast, a network of Mexican freight trains that are utilized by U.S.- bound migrants. As always, you can find links for these two railways in the info section, now back to the movie. Suspenseful and intense, this movie cashes on those beautiful vistas and cramped spaces aboard the train. This train ride from hell is delightfully tempting, showing us early on that the things are not the way they seem to be.

A young couple takes the famous Transsuberian train to experience something new and make some cool photos on the way. Roy and Jessie feel the need for something exciting because they are slowly starting to devolve. After Roy gets left behind on one of the train stations, the wife gets to know better Carlos, and finds out something she is not supposed to find out. Great cast, I especially liked Ben’s character, as always he put out a magnificent performance. Story is a bit cheesy with the whole motive of bored wife and exotic Spanish guy full of passion and sexuality, but then again I guess that the rest of the story makes up for this. Also, we are seeing this cliché not because it’s a handy gimmick for plot development but because it is fucking true.